Of Tears and Venom
by TheDivineDemon
Summary: Baskilisk Venom and Pheonix tear infected his blood forcing him to change to live. But what will this change do to him, will he still be human? eventual TxHxF. Rewrite to Of Tears and Venom: orginal
1. Chapter 1

**It's, the, RE-MIX! Brought to you your boy Cam AKA TheDivineDemon aka Every girl's little taste of caramel. I hope you enjoy the show.**

**Current time in story 1998, yes 1998, deal with it, it goes with the story. Also Harry never got that note from Hermione he was too upset to notice it in this one. Only one Horcrux in this story and it's in this chapter.**

**Again, sorry to do this to y'all but I felt it need to be done**

**Chapter one: Seeping Through the Veins**

Harry Potter walked down the old tunnel as quickly and as quietly as he could with his wand at the ready. He went down there for a reason and he'd be damned if he didn't finish it even if he was scared half to death. There was a monster down there; a snake if all the snakeskins weren't a big enough hint, and it had his best mates little sister. Ron, his best friend, came down with him too but they also brought their coward of a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher thinking he might be of some use. He wasn't, he ended up having a spell backfire on him with Ron's broken wand and caused part of the cavern to fall in, separating Harry from any form of reinforcements.

As he walked he gave himself a few gulps trying to choke back anything that would get in his way of doing his job. Harry eventually found himself in front of a large circular door, like one would see on a vault, decorated with snakes. Without a handle of latch of any kind Harry assumed that it was similar to the sink that lead him down there in the first place. Taking a deep breath and calling fourth a familiar slithering sensation in his throat that felt like it bubbled at the tip of his tongue he let out a hiss that he knew meant open.

The snakes on the door danced and slithered in patterns that eventually made a circle causing the door to swing open slowly with a slight latching sound. Cautiously Harry stepped through the opened door and looked around him before advancing. This room was grander than he had expected anything to be down there. It was a large room rivaling the school's Great Hall with a firm path of bricks shooting down the middle with golden snakes lined up on the side with their mouths opened. At the end there was pool of water below a man's face carved in the wall, if he had to guess it was in the likeness of the man who built this chamber Salazar Slytherin. But what really got his attention was the prone and motionless form of Ginny Weasley lying right before the pool of water.

He immediately ran over to the young girl with one thought in his mind "Please don't let me too late, please let her be alive!" He dropped his wand on the ground as he knelt down besides the red head and started to gently shake her. "C'mon Ginny! Wake up! C'mon, wake up!"

In his near frantic state he didn't notice someone walking towards him before he spoke "She won't wake."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows and his glasses slid down his nose a bit as he looked to see who spoke. He recognized the figure but isn't he suppose to be dead or at least much older than he looks right now "Tom? Tom Riddle?" getting was could be perceived as a positive response Harry questioned his if he was a ghost.

Tom shook his head, as he walked forward "No, not a ghost. A memory, trapped inside a diary for fifty years"

The younger boy turned his attention back to the girl lying motionless on the ground. He placed his hand on top of her near blue one and he felt his face pale "She's so cold is she…"

"No she's alive but only just." As he spoke those words he had bent down and picked Harry's wand off the ground, surprised at how well it fit him, must have been a similar core.

Harry was still panicked and wasn't sure what to do "You got help me Tom there's something down here, a monster or something. We got to get out of here."

The memory just smirked "Don't worry the Basilisk won't come until it's called."

That's when Harry noticed something was wrong; he actually noticed several things wrong. For one Ginny was holding the diary was held in before, second Tom was out of the diary and knew something was down there even going as far as knowing that name, and last Tom was holding his wand. Harry slowly rose from where he was kneeling next to Ginny and extended his hand "Give me my wand Tom."

Tom made a near playful voice "Oh, you won't be needing it."

"We don't have time for this! We've got to save her!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, because you see as young Ginny gets weaker I grow stronger." Tom actually sounded like he chiding Harry like he was talking to some young ill intelligent child. As he watched Harry's face gain a look Tom smiled "That's right. It was Ginny Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets. It was her who used the Basilisk who attacked all those mudbloods and half breed filth."

Harry growled and denied that his friend's sister could ever do that, especially if she went out of her way to hurt his other best friend. Rendering her nothing more than a statue made of flesh along with several other students. "That's true, let's say she was in a trance, and you can find that I am quite persuasive. She did anything I would ask her too but she got scared. She was afraid of the dairy's powers. So she tried to get rid of it in the girl's bathroom. And whose hands does it fall into but yours…" His face scrunched in irritation or maybe anger "The very person I was the most anxious to meet." Tom pointed the tip of the wand at Harry but the boy didn't seem afraid, he actually stepped towards Tom as he asked his question.

"But why did you want to meet me?"

"I knew I had to talk to you meet you if I could." His face still had an irritated look as he gave fake sympathetic look "That's why I showed you that memory of that brainless oaf Hagrid, to gain your trust."

"Hagrid's my friend!" Harry gritted out as he realized just what Tom was saying "And you framed him didn't you."

"It was easy, my word against Hagrid's. Only Dumbledore seemed to think he was innocent."

Harry gave him a cheeky lopsided smile "I bet he saw right through you."

"He certainly kept an annoyingly close eye on me after that" he snapped before circling around Harry "I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the chamber again while I was still at school so I left behind a diary preserving my sixteen year old self within its pages, so that one day I could lead another to finish my ancestor's noble goal!"

"Well you haven't finished it this time." Harry said glaring the best he could and keeping his voice determined "The mandrake potion will be done in a few hours and everyone you hurt will be alright again."

Tom didn't seem annoyed like Harry had hoped, more like amused "Hadn't I told you," the memory's lips twitching as it suppressed a smirk "Killing that filth isn't my goal any longer. For many months now my new target has been… you"

Harry looked taken aback and felt even more so when Tom's voice was near shaking in anger "How is it that a baby with no special talent can defeat the greatest wizard that ever lived!" he raised Harry's wand and pushed aside some stray hairs to reveal his famous lightning bolt scar "How is it that you only escaped with a simple scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed!?"

"Why do you care how I escaped Voldemort, he was after your time."

"Voldemort," he started softly "Is my past, present and future." After that he turned his back to Harry and started to scribble letters in the air, made visible by brightly glowing flames. After he finished writing his flourished letters and paused for a second to allow Harry to read "Tom Marvolo Riddle" he swished the wand to send the letters scattering and rearranged themselves to spell out the sentence "I am Lord Voldemort".

"You're him, you're the heir of Slytherin?" He paused as what the memory said truly sunk in "You're Voldemort"

"Surely you didn't think I was going to keep my filthy muggle of a father's name. No, I fashioned myself a new name the I knew would someday be feared enough that people wouldn't even let it slip out of their lips when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

"No! Albus Dumbledore is!"

"Dumbledore has been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!"

"He'll never be gone, not as long as those still loyal to him are here!" Harry growled out staring down the obviously angry memory in the eye. The two bore into each other for a few more seconds before they heard a loud thrill echoing through the chamber walls. Looking towards where Harry had enter they saw a familiar looking red and gold phoenix flying through the cavern towards them.

"Fawkes?" Harry asked sounding surprised. The bird swooped over Harry, dropping something in his hand, and they made a grab at Riddle who instantly ducked out of the way. As the bird flies back the way it came Harry unraveled what it had given him to only have a feeling of dread and confusion set in upon him when he discovered it was only to find that it was the Sorting Hat.

"This is what Dumbledore sends his champion? A song bird and a ratty old hat." As Harry looked at the hat in shock he heard Riddle hiss something about Slytherin speaking to him. Harry turned to look at his opponent to see the mouth of the stone face opening up and a long black tongue start to lick the air as it entered the room "Let's put the might of the heir of Slytherin against the famous Harry Potter."

Harry in a flash dropped the hat near Ginny and ran down the stone path in hopes that he could escape. He heard Tom yell a hiss towards the snake before yelling out after him "Parsetletounge won't save you now Potter, it only listens to me." Harry mentally cursed himself for not doing something similar to that to start with and pushed his legs harder, only to trip on a loose stone.

Harry franticly searched for his glasses but as soon as he placed them on he had to cover his head thinking that it was over for him. He only looked up when he heard Fawkes let out what could be described as a battle cry and sunk its claws into the giant snakes eyes. Turning to see the damage Harry got his first real look at the monster that was after him. It was a very, very large snake that was probably a good sixty or seventy foot beast with a red plum at the top of it greenish black scales. And luckily for him Fawkes blinded the thing for him by ripping out its eye, leaving only really bloody and swollen eyes.

Tom let out a furious hiss before yelling at Harry "My snake might not be able to see you but it can still hear you." Harry let out a few mental curses before trying to back away quietly only to step on some old and loose bones, making a sick snapping sound the made the snake instantly snap its head towards him.

"Crap" Harry ran straight to the left seeing an opening to a tunnel and hopefully a way to get away from this thing. He made another quick turn that leads him into a series of narrow tunnels, outside the entrance he could hear the beast crash into stone and let out a pained roar. The boy ran quickly down the old tunnels, accidentally kicking a rat or two, and made another turn only to find his way blocked off by some type of grate. He pushed and pulled at it hoping to get it loose but failed. He was about to leave and try and find another exit but a loud hiss made him stop in his tracks and hold his breath.

The snake licked the air and slowly turned its head towards Harry who was currently bending low against the wall to grab a stray stone. As the beast slowly slid into the dead end with Harry he threw the rock over its head causing a racket down the way, grabbing the creature's attention and made it slither towards the source. After Harry couldn't hear the snake anymore he made his way out of the dead end and back tracked towards Ginny hoping to get the both of them out of there.

He just over to the now deathly pale blue Ginny Weasley and a patiently waiting Tom Riddle who had a smile on his face "Yes Potter, the process is nearly complete. And in a few minutes Ginny Weasley will be dead and I'll cease to be a memory. Lord Voldemort will return, very, much, alive." As he finished his sentence he raised his hand and seemed to admire the fact that the translucent nature that he one had was slowly starting to fade, he'd give it another ten minutes before he was whole again. He could already feel his magical strength returning to him.

Harry let out a sorrowful "Ginny" and tried to shake her awake. While he did so he noticed she still had the diary in hand, he thought maybe if he got rid of it there might be a chance of saving her. As he went to reach for the diary he heard a large explosion and a very familiar hiss. Turning around he saw the giant snake Tom called a Basilisk Slamming out of the pool of water making Harry wonder how it got there.

He cursed out loud as he got to his feet and looked around for anything that he could use as a weapon. Looking down where the sorting hat laid he saw the hilt of a bright silver sword with rubies embedded in the hilt and guard. Not sure of what else to do Harry grabbed it and pulled it out of the old hat. He was surprised by the length of the sword but he reminded himself with magic near anything was possible, not that he had much time to think about it as the snake took a dive at him.

Reflexively Harry slashed the sword down as the creature passed him, cutting it deep and having its blood spill on the ground. The creature let out a horrible hiss and whacked Harry with it tail. Harry tumbled down the stones for a few moments, scrapping himself bloody on the jagged rocks. Harry quickly stood up realizing that it's either do or die right now and like hell was he dying without dragging something with him. He made a run for the snake again only to be banished into one of the stone snake statues. Harry groggily shook his head and looked to see Tom holding Harry's wand in the ready position "Did you really think I was going to stand here while my pet did all the work?"

It was only the slight grunting sound of the basilisk that forewarned him to move out of the way as the creature bit into the statue, both crushing it from the force and melting it from its venom. Harry made a desperate dive as he saw a sickly pink ball of light shoot towards him. He didn't care to know its effect he just knew he had to dodge both it and the blind beast. Harry made another desperate dive as the snake took a blind dart towards him, again after the passing he swung the silver sword wildly drawing it thick black blood.

As Tom readied himself to send another spell a burst of flame appeared before him and swan like hawk started to attack him with its talons "Get off me you bloody bird!" Tom sent out a small barrage of spells after the bird as it flew away to avoid him. But he finally got the bird with a cutting spell, unfortunately since he wasn't at full strength it only left an extremely deep gash on its front and didn't cut it in two like he hoped. But the memory was pleased to see that it effected Harry long enough to yell "NO!" giving away where he was to the beast who instantly lashed out and sunk its fangs deeply into the boy's shoulder, chest and right arm.

Harry let out a loud yell as he felt multiple fangs pierce into him and the force snapping and breaking his bones. But his pain was only just starting as the creature let loose a flood of cold liquid that made his body feel like it was on fire. Despite his pain he managed to raise his arm up and jam the sword through the roof of the snake's mouth, pushing all the way to the hilt and twisting it for good measure.

The creature let out one last hiss of pain and its body started to spasm as it started to shut down. The snake's large body started to whip around with Harry still in its jaws. The basilisk last spasm made it slam its head on the ground near Tom, who looked slightly disappointed that his pet was dead but it was more like the look people get when dirt gets on their new shoes. He did seem somewhat amused when Harry tore himself from the creature's mouth with a fang or two still stuck in him.

Harry started to stumble over to his fellow housemate and looked at her in worry. He could feel the venom from that monster seeping through his whole body. He felt like screaming but he knew that it would do him no good; he had to help Ginny, somehow. "So this is how the great Harry Potter dies. On his knees unable to help one little girl"

Harry looked up and scowled only to earn himself a smirk "Isn't it funny what a simple book can do in the hands of one foolish girl." Harry still glared at him as he reached for the said book startling Riddle and sending a ripple of fear through his near corporal form "What are you doing Potter?" his voice was uneven and the way he held the wand was too tight.

The boy didn't say anything he just flipped the book open and tore out the fang that was embedded in his should, only letting out a small grunt as he did. Ignoring Riddle's protest Harry plunged the fang into the right half of the book and watched as ink and venom started to bleed out of the pages. As he did so a burst of light erupted from Riddles stomach and started to spread to his arms as Harry launched another stab into the left half. Tom tried to take a step forward and stop Harry from completely destroying him but when he flipped the book close and jammed the fang all the way through from cover to cover he was nothing more than light and dust.

After seeing Riddle become nothing more than what he deemed pixie dust he let out a sigh of relief and fell on his back. He felt something warm and wet starting surround him. Looking up Harry should see it was the Basilisk blood pouring out of all the wounds he made on it. He felt a little bad for the creature since it was only a tool but it was either it or him and Ginny.

Speaking of the girl Harry could tell she was going to make it from here, she was starting gain a warm look to her face and the blue was starting to just fade away as the seconds trickled by. She was going to live, which was good, but he wished he could have said the same thing for himself. He could feel the poison already ripping through him. He was already near numb to it but he knew he was going to die soon. But hey at least he went out with a bang. Seriously how many people can claim that they died killing a few century old basilisk, that better be on his chocolate frog card after this. And if it isn't he'd haunt that factory silly, especially if they put him down as the defeater of Voldemort down. As far as he was concerned that was his parents' doing not his, sure he just beat a younger version of him but not the terror everyone else knows.

It felt good to actually earn a reputation and not just stumble into it. Unfortunately he wouldn't be around to see it. He wouldn't even have a chance to say goodbye to his friends but he hoped that they'd be proud of the way he went. He knew he was.

He was brought out of his musing by the feeling of something crawling onto his chest. Painfully dragging his head up he could see a bleeding phoenix crying its tears into every wound it could find. He felt as it tried to soothed neutralize the toxin that was killing him but a quickly as his heart beat the pain came back with a vengeance. With every thump the freshly healed system was torn through and brought to the brink. It was maddening but he fought through the pain as he spoke to the bird "Thanks for trying Fawkes but I don't think it's going to work, this is probably the end for me." As the Phoenix stopped crying into his wounds he could feel the two forces fighting at each other and going against the tears well meaning tearing him apart from the inside out.

The bird let out a sad thrill sound form its throat as it watched Harry ease off despite the pain "I put up a good fight didn't I Fawkes" The bird nodded its head as it watched the boy slowly close his bright green eyes. No. It refused to let such a child die so young and before he could reach his full potential.

Fawkes called its flames from deep inside and forces it further than it had ever been before. It was a few days before it had its rebirth day but this was an emergency. The phoenix forced its flames to wrap around Harry and burn like it does ever so often. Fawkes was briefly worried as it started to reform from its ashes that its plan didn't work but when it saw the boy starting to reform with it Fawkes let out a happy thrill in its chick form as it laid on the naked boys chest. But even in its joy it could feel it, something was off about the boy now. Something had changed and until someone came to get them or until five hours passed to let it grow there was no way to tell.

Two hours later feathers started to grow on its naked skin and its wingspan started to increase. It would take another half an hour or more before it could use its flame to teleport them out of there even with Fawkes forcing itself to grow at such a fast rate. It was damaging to do so and would take another three rebirths to heal the damage it's doing to itself but it would be worth it.

Hearing a groan to the side Fawkes turned its head to see the young red head witch starting to wake up. He thought it was good she was waking up even if she just suffered mass amounts of trauma she could be of use. But all she did when she woke up was stare at Harry, blush and seem to stutter over herself as she debated if she wanted to cover her eyes of not. It actually seemed like her brain loss all function as she just stared at Harry making Fawkes think she was useless.

After reaching about a fourth of its true size it flew over to the useless girl and dragged her over to Harry. Once the phoenix grabbed a hold of the boy's wrist it dragged them through its flame and teleported them to the hospital wing where it's master Albus Dumbledore and the healer Madam Promfrey where waiting for them.

"Aw Fawkes, its good to see you…" Dumbledore trailed off when he noticed a dazed Miss Weasley and an unconscious nude Harry Potter in his familiar's grasp. Madam Promfrey descended on them quickly, checking over Ginny first and summoning a potion with her wand for the girl to drink.

After Ginny drank the potion and started to waiver into dreamland the healer spoke to her employer "She's been through a lot, there is probably some trauma that only time can fix but she'll be fine." The old man nodded as he and his familiar watched her move towards the nude boy lying on the ground.

As Pomfrey levitated the boy into a nearby bed Dumbledore spoke to his familiar "Fawkes my friend, would you be so kind as to retrieve mister Weasley and Professor Lockheart?" The bird gave its master what could be seen as a scowl but nodded its head and flamed away as Dumbledore watched Pomfrey cast a number of scanning charms on the boy. He recognized a few, a bone checker, poison detector, a vital shower, all the others he didn't or couldn't recall, he wasn't a healer and his memory was starting to fail him in his old age.

He watched in curiosity that with each passing Charm Pomfrey's face went from confused to worry to a near state of panic. "Poppy what's wrong?" he asked caving into his curiosity.

Poppy even in her state of panic remembered her healer's code and was hesitant to answer. But in this school Dumbledore was granted access to near any and all information pertaining to a student's well being while in the school. "I'm- I'm not sure. His temperature suggest that he should be burning up but his complexion is completely fine, the bone scan shows no broken bones but it says their hallow, there is a large amount of poison in him mostly focused where his tonsils should be but it's not harming him. I don't know what's wrong with him and I can't use my more advanced scanning charms till he wakes up"

Dumbledore frowns at this news and stares at his now covered student and noticed a few subtle differences in him. Something was wrong and they had to wait to find out what.

**Well here's the first chapter of the rewrite, tell me what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

"**Don't be caught up in the identity that your blood gave you but live in the one that your heart and soul made for you" – T.D.D. 2-16-10**

**Yah! Personal quote! I had nothing to really say here just thought the lesson I learned above fit the story pretty well.**

**Chapter two: Waking Up From the Ashes**

He dreamed of fire, he dreamed of flames. He saw himself as a sickly snake lying in the heart of a bright and beautiful fire. The fire cradled him like he was its child, nurturing him and kissing him with its heat. The fire helped him grow and gifted him with wings and feathers. It showed him his path, leading him to wear the fires ended and the ashes began, where the cold world stood waiting for him. He dreamed he spread his new wings and slithered through the sky like a king. He gave a mighty roar as he soared out of the flames and went to meet his challenges.

Harry woke up with a start and instantly winced from the sun's light. After blinking a few times to adjust to the new light entering his eyes he peered around the room. Cushy yet still bed with others lined up across and alongside him, white sheets, smoother stone walls than the rest of the castle, potions lined up in a large cabinet on the far side, light blue pajamas he was sure he wasn't wearing before, only one place this could be.

"Great, the hospital wing." He mumbled before swinging his feet out from the sheets and touched them to the floor below. But before he could even stand up fully Madam Promfrey came busting out of her office on the far side of the room and pushed him back into the bed.

"Oh no you don't. You just sit right back down Mr. Potter."

"But I feel fine" he whined but noticed just saying he was 'fine' was an understatement. He felt great! He felt strong; he felt alert, hell he felt like he could go another two rounds with that snake. Wait… snake? What happened again?

He remembered going to down to the chamber, getting blocked off from his only known exit. He remembered Tom Riddle and how he was killing Ginny with his diary and his giant snake that he sent to kill him.

Harry started to rub his shoulder and chest remembering that's where he got bit. He was surprised that he didn't feel any pain or a slight bump from the new scars he would have gotten. But there was none of that. Not even stiffness in his arm. Looking down into his shirt Harry was surprised that there wasn't even a red mark. 'Madam Promfrey does great work!' Harry mussed as the woman started to perform some charms and spells he didn't recognize on him.

"I'll be the judge of that young man, now hold still." She said pointing the tip of her wand towards his chest, allowing a healthy green light to glow at the tip and pressed it forward. The light of the wand started to spread over Harry giving him a weird tingling sensation as it seemed to trace over him. Eventually the light started to recede back into her wand and she carefully brought the wand over to her desk, treating it like it was spoon filled with hot soup and she didn't want it to stain the floor.

As she got to her desk she cleared an area of everything but a single piece of parchment where she pressed the tip of her wand at the top and words started to spill down like water. Harry actually managed to get up from his bed and stumble over to her, wondering what happened to his balance every step of the way, to look over her shoulder as the words and letters started to make coherent sentences.

At first it wasn't anything just the words name, age, weight, height, temperature, gender and so on. Some of the things on the list he didn't understand like why would they want to know the length of his pointer finger, how much his bones weighted or if he had any extra organs? Anyway, when his name and part of his age started to show up the resident healer shooed Harry away saying that he may be the patient but that didn't mean he got to look at it.

Grumbling in acceptance Harry moved on to ask how everyone else was, Ginny, Hermione and all the other kids that got victimized by the basilisk. "They're fine. Ms. Weasley will probably have some pretty awful nightmares for a while but that's not something we can't fix with a dreamless sleep potion. Ms. Granger and the others have been successfully reawakened for a good two days now."

"That's good... wait, two days? Exactly how long was I knocked out?"

"Again Two days." The healer said taking her eyes off the forming words showing her amusement to the boy. "And you had many attempted visitors in that time." Harry made a disgruntled face "Not to worry all but the Weasleys and Ms. Granger were turned away. Though they left many gifts, just like last year."

Harry turned and groaned at a bed not too far from his own filled with candies, cards, letters and a few flower arraignments. He'd probably just pocket a few candies and ask Madam Promfrey to get rid of the rest. He did the same last year and just said thanks to everyone who thought he got their gifts. He hated his fame, it's not that he didn't like being recognized, and he just didn't like being recognized for something he didn't do. As far as he was concerned it was his mother and father work that got rid of the original Voldemort, not him and some form of accidental magic. At least now he did something he actually earned to be famous for, killing a humongous snake that was petrifying everyone. Being famous for that he wouldn't mind at all.

The healer smiled as the boy glared at the pile of gifts like he wanted to set it on fire, probably a good thing she hasn't given him his wand back yet otherwise he probably would. Chuckling to herself she turned back to the paper and started to read the visible results. This was one of the most advanced scanning spells that Europe had to offer. It told you near everything about the patient, the only down side being that the patient was awake so there was no magical backlash from the spell.

The spell was good but what she was seeing worried her. Under skin tone there was 'pinkish white scales' and there also wasn't hair color but his feather color, The scan also said that he did have a few extra organs, this was usually only used for people that had a mix heritage like being part goblin or veela but it showed Harry had poison sacks and what seemed like a thin layer of something over his magical core, whatever it was it moved and swirled like fire.

It was all too confusing; she needed a second opinion on this because all signs pointed to Harry not being human, not a full one at least. She could call St. Mungos but there was near always someone looking to boost their reputation and using the Boy-who-Lived wasn't below any of them. Maybe she could get one of her old friends who she went through her apprenticeship with to help her but most of them were out of country for one reason or another and it would take a while to reach any of them.

Maybe the Headmaster could help. He may not be a healer but he is very knowledgeable and could probably come up with a theory of what has happened. But she would need permission from Harry or his guardians to tell another person about his medical condition besides "he'll be fine" or other lesser things. This was defiantly not one of the lesser things but she needed help.

Turning her attention to the boy who was separating everything edible from the mix of gifts "Harry," the boy's head nearly snapped towards her "I'm a bit confused on some of these results, may I have your permission to show this to the Headmaster to get a clue as to what is going on."

Harry gave a slightly nervous look "Is something wrong with me?"

"There shouldn't be," she said trying to reassure him and feeling that she was failing "I'm just not familiar as to what some of these results mean and would like a second opinion."

Harry hesitated for a moment before giving a nod and his permission. Promfrey gave him a reassuring smile that most medical people are trained to give when they think something is wrong but don't want to worry the patient, everyone knows the one, the one where it looks forced and there is something in their eyes that makes you worry. Kind of a failed teaching but they tried.

After she left he laid on the bed he'd been sleeping on for the last two days, ripped open a box of chocolate frogs and near swallowed the thing whole as he was stuck in his thoughts. An unsure doctor, healer or whatever couldn't be a good sign. It probably meant that something was wrong with him, very wrong if it got the Hogwarts Healer nervous.

He reached his hand up to adjust his glasses, he knew he didn't need to but it usually helped to calm him. But this time his fingers just met skin. He reached again to adjust them, thinking he was disorientated from too much sleep but again nothing. He then placed his full palm against the front of his face, feeling around and still felt nothing. His glasses weren't on his face but he could see just fine.

"Wow, she's good. If I known she could have done that before I would have asked her as soon as I got here." He waved his hand in front of his eyes a few times "Cool" This was a dream come true. He had always hated those glasses, same pair for three years. They were crooked, scratched, they only stayed together because of duct tape and he was pretty sure they were the wrong prescription even when he originally got them.

As he marveled at his new vision he didn't notice a burst of flame from above him but he did notice the soft thrill that came with it. Looking up he saw a familiar red and gold bird circling around the air before taking a perch on the back of a chair near Harry. The bird tilted its head to either side for a moment and the let out a soft cooing sound. Harry guessed that was a question if he's all right to which he replied by placing his hand on top of its outstretched head and stroked its feathers as he would with Hedwig.

"Hey Fawkes how you doing." A small thrill answered him "Yeah, me too. Feeling great actually. A little weird since I just got the crap beaten out of me by a book and a snake." The bird gave an equivalent to a shrug before staring at him almost inquisitively "What something on my face?" Harry said joking but the bird just kept on staring at him before letting out a sad sound, like it was regretting something.

Harry looked confused but shrugged it off. He spoke snake not bird and it would take forever to guess so it was better to just leave it at that. Opening a box of Every Flavor Jellybeans and dumped a little in his hand. Taking a random brown one he offered it to the bird, who looked at it before pecking it out of his hand. Fawkes then let out screech and the bean fell out of its mouth

"Didn't like it huh?" Harry said with a cheeky grin and offered the bird another one "Want to try again?" the bird glared at him for a moment before letting out a thrill that nearly sounded like a laugh, making him do the same. Harry spat out three of the five beans he tried, blood, grass and boogey, before giving up on the whole box and laying back down waiting for Madam Promfrey to return, listening as Fawkes made some soft thrilling sounds.

After a few minutes of contemplating if he should go back to sleep Madam Promfrey came back in with Professor Dumbledore trailing behind her, both looking a cross of awkward and worried. Their expressions really didn't make Harry feel better.

Dumbledore walked over to Harry no twinkle in his eye and he seemed to stroke his waist length beard a little too much. "Hello Harry, how are you feeling?"

"Pretty good. Madam Promfrey does a god job, she even fixed my eyes." The two members of the Hogwarts staff stared at each other for a moment before glancing back at Harry. "What?"

"Nothing my boy," Dumbledore said slowly "Can you tell us what happened in the Chamber, it might tell us what the abnormalities in the scans were."

"Um, okay, I'll try." As Harry went on with his tale Dumbledore skimmed his mind helping Harry tell the events better and give him a better idea of what happened. As Harry got to the end of tale he had a good idea of what happened. Such searing pain form the venom in his veins and that small amount of bliss he got from the tears flowing through him at the same time, he was surprised it didn't send the boy mad. Then there was the basilisk blood he laid on and the bleeding phoenix on top of him. He was sure that in his pain that Harry didn't notice it but as he scanned the memory he noticed both bloods entering his body and flowing through him like the tears and venom. Some sort of accidental blood magic ritual must have occurred and did whatever it is it did to Harry.

"And then I woke up here… sir" Dumbledore nodded his head and held a contemplating look on his face. "Is there a problem, sir?"

Dumbledore didn't say anything as he thought over what he learned, what it could mean and how he could tell his student. He's done similar task in the past informing friends, student and so on about an unpleasant fate of being cursed to become something they weren't. But this wasn't like most situations; they had no clue as to what he now was or what he could do much less help him through it. "Harry…"

Harry listened as his Headmaster told him theory, his idea that somehow he went through an accidental blood ritual, a ritual that changed him, a type of magic that could have taken away something precious to him, more precious than he realized. It took his HUMANITY! They made him into what his aunt and uncle always called him, always mocked him with. They made him a FREAK! H-how dare anyone-anything even dare do this to him!

No, this is a lie. Dumbledore is just messing with him. He's probably pulling an incredibly cruel prank or something, playing some sort of mind games. This can't be true, it's a lie. It has to be a lie. "You're joking right, professor? You're just saying a big lie to mess with me, right?" The boy's voice seemed hysterical and he looked to be on the edge of tears. The look on his face nearly broke the two hardened professors' heart.

The resident phoenix started a small song like thrill that seemed to ease the boy down, slowly but it eventually got him to a state where he could be reasoned with. Fawkes gave a soft cooing sound to Harry's thanks and burst into flames before appearing next to Harry ready in case he needed its voice again.

"Harry, we will try to help you the best we can during these transitions. We will try and set something up for the summer if you decide you would need our services" Madam Promfrey nodded her head from behind her employer showing she was willing to help "Until then I recommend you do not tell anyone you do not trust absolutely. As you are probably aware the magical world is not that forgiving towards those that are different."

Harry knew that was true, especially considering how they treated muggleborns and Parseltongue, both hated for different reasons but they were shunned all the same. Thinking of that he wondered how they would treat him, hell he didn't know how he'd treat him. He didn't even know what to call himself, which brings up a good question. "I think you're right sir, but what exactly am I?"

"A good question," Dumbledore said with a slight frown "a good question indeed. For now how about just Harry" He gave the boy a reassuring smile, which gave a small one in thanks.

"Now it would seem you are in need of new robes from your growth spurt" he said trying to add cheer to his voice and lighten the boy's mood "Luckily we have spare robes from students who donated them at the end of their term here and didn't see the need of keeping them." With a swish of his wand a pair of old robes appeared on the bed he was just sitting on "I believe you find that these will fit very nicely."

"Thank you, sir." Harry said as he took the robes from the bed and stared at them for a bit. "D-do I look different?"

Promfrey answered this one "Besides the lack of glasses, being a bit taller and not looking like a twig anymore, not really."

That was good news, he didn't look like a freak, he was just one on the inside. It made him feel a little better, deep down, somewhere. He only looked up from the new to him robes when Dumbledore placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Try and see your friends. You needn't tell them anything but I find just being around the ones you care about helps immensely. Now hurry and dress, it is almost lunch time and I'm sure you would like to see if Ms. Weasley and Ms. Granger are alright."

Harry nodded and almost numbly put the clothes on over the hospital pajamas he was given. He knew that they always, somehow made it back here so it was all right to go with them still on. As he made his way to the door Promfrey stopped him "Mr. Potter, I want you in here every Friday for the last three weeks. Mostly to monitor how you are but if ever feel you need help don't hesitate to come here, understood?"

Harry nodded, said his thanks and left the hospital wing leaving the two teachers with similar expressions they had on when they entered the room. "Do you think the poor boy will be alright Albus?"

"Only time will tell my dear Poppy. But for now I think we should follow his lead and get some food."

The boy in question was currently taking one of the longer ways to the Great Hall, he wanted some time to think, a lot was put on him in about ten minutes. When he lived back in Surrey he was different and that set him apart from everyone there, at Hogwarts he was still different but he could now fit in with other people who were different but now, he was different, different from everybody. He wasn't even like a werewolf or a vampire according to Dumbledore; he was the first of his kind. It's cool in a way but scary in others.

He cursed as he tripped for what was probably the third time over his feet. He didn't get why he kept on doing that. He licked his lips in irritation and cocked his head back as he tasted or smelt, maybe both the whole hallway. Musty and gritty, he never noticed the smell before or maybe just never so clearly. He could smell the few wavering scents of student who passed during the day, all the perfume from the girls, the sweat from the kids getting back from the pitch, a few owl feathers from those coming back from the owlery. Too much, it made him dizzy.

Shaking his head he kept walking forward and licked his lips again. And again the numerous scents hit him like a wave in the face. He shook his head and made it down the final staircase to the first floor, only stumbling over two steps as he made his way down. Harry decided that it was a bad idea to lick his lips the third time when the smell of all the foods and students hit him. He should tell Madam Promfrey about that, he hoped to all hell that his tongue didn't do that when he was eating.

Surveying the room he noticed few people meaning he was either early or late for lunch. He was guessing early from the people still walking through the door behind him. Walking over to the Gryffindor table he saw his friend Hermione poking through her food with Ron putting mouthful after mouthful down his gullet. Taking a seat in front of the two Harry said his helloes and put his food on to his plate. He was hungry, like he had never eaten before, so he decided to ask Hermione how she was after he ate something; the candy from earlier really didn't fill him up.

While he was taking the first few bites of some chicken he put on his plate he heard Hermione call his name in a questioning manner, not like when she had a question for him more like someone calling the name of a person they hadn't seen in while.

"Yeah?"

"Bloody hell mate" Ron said after barely swallowing his food "We barely recognized you. What happened?"

"Um, growth spurt and good potions?" he said hoping they bought it because he wasn't ready to talk about it much less in the middle of the great hall. Ron just nodded his head accepting his words at face value, Hermione nodded her head but it was obvious she wasn't done with him yet "Anyway," Harry said trying to get off topic "How are you feeling Hermione?"

The girl gave him a look before answering him "A little stiff but otherwise fine. It was kind of like sleeping but it was uncomfortable." She rolled her shoulders as she said this as if she was trying to get rid of a knot from her shoulder. Harry smiled at the news and said "good" before taking another bit of his chicken and nearly swallowed the large bite whole.

"Harry manners, we don't need another Ron." Both said boys gave a "hey!" at the comment, causing all three to laugh. Harry slowed his pace a little but not much, he was hungry.

As the meal went on Harry asked if Hermione was ready for the exams as a joke but it triggered a whole rant about how it wasn't fair to the students and whatnot, he usually tuned her out just enough to hear what she was saying during these things. He liked the girl, probably the closest thing he'll ever have to a sister, but she needed to get her priorities in check or at least tone down the study habits a bit.

Even though he was with his friends and was enjoying himself he felt somewhat empty. His mind drifted into thoughts a boy his age shouldn't have. Will he be able to grow up like his friends would, go through puberty, get acne, fall into hormones and find a girl? Would he even find a girl? And if he did, would he be able to have a child? If people found out he wasn't human what would they do? Would they scorn him, hunt him, hurt him? What would his friends do?

As Harry's mood sank Hermione noticed, Ron might have too but there was pie.

"Harry, are you alright?"

"Huh, uh, yeah. I'm fine" The girl gave him a look "No, really, I'm fine." She was still giving him the same look. Looking away Harry let out a sigh and knew Hermione wouldn't let it go "I'll tell you when I'm ready okay?" She seemed to accept that, for now at least. He really didn't need her digging into things at the moment; he'd be able to handle it late, much later, but not then.

Harry's mood stayed neutral throughout the week, or at least that's how it appeared on the outside. Inside he was constantly feeling conflicted and confused. He went to the library a few times much to Hermione's delight and Ron's disgust. But unfortunately for the local bookworm he wasn't going there to study, well he was in a sense but not in the way she wanted. He studied vampires, werewolves and rituals that changed people.

All of said information was useless to him. There were no cases even remotely like him in the rituals and the books on werewolves and vampires just called them dark creatures and how to "deal" with them. Not very pleasant. Not one bit.

He didn't notice any changes so far besides the obvious. Like how he now looked in the mirror. He looked the same but not. He was a bit taller than before and he didn't seem as scrawny any more. Skinny, yes but now you could see a bit of tone and muscle working its way in his build. His hair seemed a bit puffier, according to some girls in his House it had more volume, they really wanted to know how he got it that way. Other than that and he had some problems tripping over his feet from the new height and over reaching a few times he was pretty much the same.

Or at least he thought. During one of his showers he noticed a flake of skin sticking out. He tried to pluck it out but it just pulled a larger section of skin off. At first he was afraid to pull anymore off, fearing if he pulled anymore it would start to bleed but there was an insufferable itch coming from underneath it. He started to scratch at it and it slowly started to peel until a very large section of skin fell to the ground, what made it worse was that the itch was still there. He scratched and scratched at it, not realizing that he was ripping off skin as he did until he reached to his other arms fingertips from itching.

By the time he noticed a good chunk of skin laid on the shower floor. Harry wanted to scream in shock but he muffled it down his throat and just stared at it. He picked the skin up tenderly and it looked exactly like his arm but see threw from the light. He dropped the skin on the ground and looked at his shoulder seeing the near obvious skin level difference. Again he stifled a scream and tried to compose himself. He picked the skin off the ground and bundled it up as he threw his cloths over his wet body and made a run to the hospital wing.

He ignored everyone he passed as he made his way to see Madam Promfrey, including one very insistent Hermione who followed him halfway through a hallway. Once he made it to his destination he panicked a little when he saw that the healer was with another student at the moment. Luckily she seemed like she was almost finished, so maybe if he interrupted her it wouldn't be that big of a deal, no that would be rude he shouldn't. Harry started to bounce on his feet anxiously waiting and debating on what he should do.

During Harry's little argument in his head the Healer finished with the student and sent her on her way before looking up to see a very anxious Boy-Who-Lived dripping wet and holding something in his arms. She wasn't expecting him till tomorrow but from his appearance it must be urgent. "Everything alright, Mr. Potter?"

"M-my skin."

The healer raised an eyebrow until she saw him unbundled what he brought with him. "It's falling off" He then revealed part of his shoulder showing that his skin was peeling off like paint off the side of an old barn.

Promfrey stayed as calm as she could and fired one diagnostic spell at him, which revealed that he was fine besides and elevated heart rate. After letting out a sigh of relief she then cast another charm hoping it would help. The charm was manly used to tell how bad a burn was, you'd be surprised what could go wrong when you use a second-degree burn healing spell on a first-degree burn, not pretty. Anyway, what was happening to his skin was similar to an old sunburn that covered his body. His skin was shedding; it was just a lot thicker in Harry's case.

""You seem to be fine Mr. Potter. You just need to peel off the skin, like a bad sun burn." After giving the boy permission to use one of her curtained areas she called for a house elf. "Please pick up the sheddings Mr. Potter leaves behind and tell the rest of the house elves to expect more shavings in the future." She added the last part as an afterthought but it seemed likely that this would happen again.

And it did near exactly a week later it happened again and Harry got the surprise of a house elf popping out of nowhere and taking the sheddings away. During his next check up Dumbledore was there to explain that he believed it was a side effect of the basilisk in making him into whatever he was. Harry wished he knew all the affects now and just have it over with but no, he had to be the first of his kind so no information for him.

He just hoped things would get better from here

**Sorry this took so long but my mid terms are starting and so are a bunch of papers, I dare you to be a Criminal Justice Major and not get hit hard at least once.**


End file.
